Considering Online Marriage

[artsa22x 0]

 

Hi all,

I'm a dual citizen (Fil/Am) who is currently engaged to a Filipina i met 3 years ago when I was still in college in the Philippines. We are looking into filing a CR-1 visa, which plays into her part as she is still in third year college, and I estimate that she would graduate before the visa gets approved.

 

However, I am an officer in the US Navy, so my opportunities to file leave is very limited, making marriage in the Philippines very difficult. Would filing an online marriage, meeting when I get the chance to certify the marriage, then filing the visa be viable? How would being a dual citizen (born in San Diego, CA to Filipino parents) and my fiancé still being in the PH also affect me filing ROM?

 

 

TLDR: I don't have enough time to be married in the Philippines so me and my fiancé are considering online marriage.

[S2N 355]

No clue what a ROM is, but your plan would work from an I-130 perspective.

[artsa22x 0]

A ROM is a report of marriage, so that my spouse can change her last name and from what I can recall, is a requirement for CFO in Philippines

[Boiler 47,618]

You can file the I 130 once you have met

[top_secret 2,725]

It should work great.  Utah online marriages are successfully going through US Embassy Manila, trouble free, in large numbers.  The Embassy probably sees them every day.  It is a well tested path.

 

If you are both Filipino citizens it is still only one ROM. No issues. Either you can file by mail with the Philippine Consulate in San Francisco, or it could be filed in person at the DFA ASEANA office in Manila.  The Philippine government is fully accepting online marriages for all purposes so long as the ROM is filed.  By now they are well aware of the aspect of one spouse being in the US and the other being in the Philippines for the ceremony.

 

As you mentioned, you are aware of the in-person meeting requirement before you can file.  But the two year clock where the case would automatically convert from CR1 to IR1 begins the day of the online ceremony.  So there is still a potential advantage doing it online sooner rather than later.

[pushbrk 13,665]

Should work great.  Report of Marriage would be done through the Philippines Consulate in San Francisco.

[Reynal2m 39]

For USCIS purposes, she is not required to change her last name, and there is no need to register it in the Philippines.

[top_secret 2,725]

1 hour ago, Reynal2m said:

For USCIS purposes, she is not required to change her last name, and there is no need to register it in the Philippines.

 

True for USCIS and the Embassy, but CFO is a Philippine government requirement, not a US Government requirement and they will definitely cause trouble leaving the Philippines if a Report of Marriage is not filed.  An emigrant cannot clear Philippine exit immigration without the blessing of CFO.  There is no requirement to change names but most brides in the Philippines really want to change their name. So, it is much easier to get it done BEFORE a visa, social security number, green card and all the other document derived from those are issued in the name they dont want.  Not filing a ROM also means that the marriage is not recognized in the Philippines so that has numerous implications for couples who intend to maintain ties to the Philippines.  So you could get around  reporting the marriage, guaranteeing extra harassments by the Philippine government, plus extra hassle changing names for most brides.  Some couples have valid reasons not to report it or are opposed to reporting it to the Philippine government.  But it is not entirely without implications to be considered.